Electronic gaming machines (EGMs) operable to enable play of wagering games are well known. A typical wagering game includes a primary or base game, and certain wagering games also include one or more bonus or secondary games.
Generally, these EGMs initiate a play of the primary game following: (1) receipt of a wager input (such as an actuation of a wager button) that indicates how much the player desires to wager; and (2) receipt of a game initiation input (such as an actuation of a play button). Many of these EGMs determine any primary awards for a wagered-on play of the primary game based on: (1) the outcome of the play of the primary game; and (2) the wager amount. Typically, the larger the wager amount, the larger the primary award (for the same outcome). Winning outcomes that are less likely to occur usually result in larger primary awards than winning outcomes that are more likely to occur.
EGMs operable to enable play of a bonus game usually initiate a play of the bonus game upon an occurrence of a bonus triggering event. These EGMs don't typically require placement of an additional wager to play the bonus game. These EGMs determine any bonus awards for the play of the bonus game (in addition to any primary awards) based on: (1) the outcome of the play of the bonus game; and (2) the wager amount.
For a particular wagering game, an EGM is usually configured to pay back, on average and over a large quantity of plays of that wagering game on that EGM, a certain percentage of the money players wager on the wagering game. The average percentage of money wagered that the EGM pays back to the players of the wagering game is typically called the average expected payback percentage (AEP %) of the wagering game. The more plays of the wagering game played on that EGM, the more likely the actual payback percentage of the wagering game will approach its AEP %. For a typical EGM operable to provide a wagering game including a primary game and a bonus game, the AEP % of the wagering game includes: (1) the primary game AEP %; and (2) the bonus game AEP % (which takes into account the probability of triggering the bonus game). The primary game and bonus game AEP % are calculated separately, but together form the wagering game AEP %. Wagering game developers can modify the primary game and/or bonus game AEP % to offer different player experiences.
Most wagering gaming technology focuses on primary and bonus games of chance, not skill. Many primary and bonus games rely on a random (or pseudo-random) number generator to randomly determine an outcome for each play of the primary or bonus game (which in turn may be tied to an award via a paytable). Since these types of games require no special skills, an inexperienced player can perform just as well as an experienced player.
Skill-based games rely (at least partially) on player skill—not solely a random (or pseudo-random) number generator—to determine an outcome. Many people have grown accustomed to playing skill-based games on home video game consoles, smartphones, and tablet computers. While some would enjoy wagering on and playing skill-based games at EGMs, skill-based games have proven problematic in the gaming industry for game developers and gaming establishments. For instance, since a high-skill player can master a skill-based game, game developers may have to make the skill-based game relatively difficult or reduce the available awards to make the economics work. Increasing the difficulty level may alienate low-skill (or even medium-skill) players who won't be able to achieve a sufficient level of success while playing the skill-based game to justify continued play. And decreasing the available awards may alienate high-skill players who have no incentive to master the skill-based game due to the paltry awards. The players may not have good gaming experiences and may stop playing.
It is technically difficult to create gaming systems configured to operate wagering games that include a skill-based component that satisfy players of all skill levels. There is a continuing need to develop new and improved wagering gaming technology to solve this problem and provide skill-based gaming systems that appeal to players of all skill levels.